


Adult Relationship Drabbles

by bookworm03



Series: Adult Relationships [15]
Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Best Friends, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-11-11
Packaged: 2018-07-16 19:58:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7282579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookworm03/pseuds/bookworm03
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles from my Adult Relationships series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Her Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on a prompt I received on tumblr. I hope you guys enjoy!!! 
> 
> Comments and kudos are amazing and will always make my day. Thank you in advance! <3

He hears her laugh before the door opens 

She’s cackling loudly at something Ann’s saying and the lights are off and everyone’s hiding and there’s a cake in the center of the room that’s shaped like a waffle. It’s some chocolate caramel toffee concoction and she’s going to love it.

Her presents litter a table in colorful wrapping paper and bags. Most of it’s alcohol but a few things are not (his is not). The music is cued up, it’s snowing softly on Ann’s back porch and he’s not even supposed to be here. He was supposed to be doing a belated Christmas in Minnesota because he spent the holidays with her and Marlene.

Shockingly, she’s never had a surprise party before. She’s thrown plenty and had lots of birthday parties, but nobody’s ever surprised her.

Not this year.

“Ben,” Marlene, who’s standing right beside him, stretches up. “Where’s Dave?”

It takes him way too long to realize who Marlene means. Dave, Leslie’s new boyfriend who she’s been seeing for just over two weeks. Dave the cop who fusses over her, uses his hand in the small of her back to guide her everywhere and always hovers two paces behind her like some sort of lurching shadow.

Dave who very much seems to already be in love with her.

_ That  _ Dave.

Ben did not invite that Dave. He’d thought Ann would handle it.

Marlene reads his expression fairly easily, because she whispers  _ oh, Ben, you moron _ in his ear as the front door finally opens.

He forgot to invite her boyfriend.

In his defense, though, she doesn’t seem to…. _ notice _ .

As soon as everyone shouts  _ surprise _ , her blue eyes flood with moisture, she fans at her face and then the tears fall as people descend on her for hugs. Ann’s is the biggest of course, but Ann is quick to give Ben credit and Leslie shrieks and crosses the room to attack him.

He lifts her up and squeezes too tightly as he explains he came back from Minnesota yesterday.

She kisses his face and tightens her grasp so hard he can’t breathe right and when he puts her down they both exhale.

“Happy birthday,” he kisses her forehead and sets her on her feet.

She spares two full seconds to push her nose into his chest and shake a little in his arms before getting pulled away to dance.

Okay, maybe it’s fine. Maybe she would be so thrilled with the party she wouldn’t notice.

*****

Ann yanks so hard on his arm Ben spills his beer.

“Ow, what - ”

“You didn’t invite  _ Dave _ ?” she shrieks. Ben winces and Henry, who’s taking another beer out of the fridge, groans.

“Dude.”

“Did uh…” Ben claws at his face. “Did she notice?”

“It’s her  _ boyfriend _ , of course she noticed! I called him.”

Of course she did. Ben rubs his face.

“I thought you were handling Dave anyway.”

“Yes, Ben,” Ann throws up her hands. “That’s what I thought too when you said  _ let me handle everything, you just get her here _ . That sounds like I’m supposed to invite Dave, doesn’t - ”

“Okay, okay, it’s...I’m sorry.”

“He’s coming straight from work and he’s pretty hurt, just so you know.” 

Ben’s fingers did dig into his neck.

Of course he is. Of course Dave is going to walk through that door in his cop uniform looking all wounded in ten minutes.

Ann spins on her heel and stalks out of the kitchen and Henry just groans.

“You should kiss her before he gets here.”

Ben almost trips at his words. “Uh, what?”

“You threw her a surprise party - go kiss her and tell her how you feel.”

Ridiculously in love with her, that’s how he feels.

“Take her into a bedroom and see what she does. She’ll kiss you back, I’d bet money on it.”

Ben’s still trying to decipher if Henry’s logic is sound and maybe now is the time and it’s worth it to tell her what he wants when there’s a shriek at the front door. Ben sighs and trudges to the entranceway, fully prepared to get blamed for sort of intentionally forgetting about Dave.

He’s there, hunched in the doorway with a sheepish smile and his arm around Leslie as he drops to press their lips together. Ben’s stomach lurches.

“Where were you?!”

Ann shoots Ben a dirty look.

“Oh, I uh, I’m sorry, this...this thing happened at the last minute at work and I, er, Ben, I swore he said nine, not eight. I’m sorry, honey.”

Leslie shoots Ben a winning smile and the guilt in his stomach turns into a thick sludge. Marlene elbows him.

“Also, I uh, your present is at my, my residence. I’m sorry, I didn’t have time to get it.”

“That’s okay! I’m so glad you’re here! Come dance with us,” she pulls and Dave goes easily like he dances at parties all the times. His eyes dart to Ben quickly as he passes him.

Ben slumps on the couch and downs the shot Henry hands him without even asking what it is.

“Let’s get you nice and drunk.”

At least his brother still loves him. 


	2. College

“It’s raining.” 

That’s an understatement. They’re sitting on her mother’s porch in Pawnee as sheets fall down around them and lightning crackles across the sky. It’s early August, a flash thunderstorm and he’s been at her house all day, packing up her room. 

She goes to college in the morning and he’ll follow a few days later - her to Indiana and him to Notre Dame . 

He still feels weird about going there, but when he received the scholarship his best friend refused to let him pass it up. Ben wraps an arm around her and Leslie curls into his chest. 

Ann’s already gone to Michigan and Leslie’s clung to him a little harder since. 

“Everyone’s leaving,” she pushes her tearstained face into his arm. “What if we aren’t even friends in four years?” 

It’s not like Leslie to be so despondent. She’s positivity and optimism, she’s the type of person who says come hell or high water she’ll make sure they’re still friends in four years. She could single handedly hold everyone together. 

But today she’s just sad. She’s feeling a lot of feelings. 

Ben circles his arm around her and takes her hand in his. 

“You’ll be off being a genius accountant and Ann will be the best nurse in Michigan and I’ll be the Governor or Indiana and we won’t even remember each other.” 

Like he could ever forget her. 

He squeezes her more tightly and says as much, which gets her to smile against his neck. 

“You’re right. We’ll be friends forever.” 

Her blue eyes turn up hopefully and Ben manages to nod, even though that’s what he’s afraid of. 

He doesn’t want to be her friend forever. 

But it’s not the right time to tell her that. 


	3. A taunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the prompt of "ways to say I love you" A taunt, with one eyebrow raised and a grin bubbling at your lips

She raises her eyebrow and his stomach twists as the summer sun bakes into his skin. They should put on more lotion. 

"Are you afraid?" 

"No"  _Yes_. "It's just a little whitewater rafting." 

 _And you're so tiny you might get thrown from the boat_. 

"Uh, they're Class 2 rapids. There are going to be kids on this boat" Ann sounds unimpressed. Ben shoots her a look, but Leslie slings an arm around him. He has to crouch so she can manage it. 

"I'll protect you, Benjamin, don't worry." 

Ann snorts as Chris comes over with four life jackets and starts handing them out. 

"Ready?" Leslie asks after adjusting the buckles and patting his arms. Ben nods, lips curving into a small smile. 

Leslie Knope says jump and he says  _off what cliff_. 

"Yay!" she exclaims, leading him down the beach to their boat and instructor. They get situated, her body snug between his and Ann's as the rest of the people pile on. It's when Ann's murmuring to Chris that Leslie leans over and whispers "Thanks for doing this." 

Ben takes the hand she offers him and squeezes. 

He'd whitewater raft down the River Styx for her. 

 


End file.
